Bubble Therapy 2
by Cynthia Smit
Summary: Hermoine and Ron have finally figured out how to find Harriet after almost five years of looking. With George and Ginny by their sides, they follow their best friend to the Elemental Nations...only to discover she might not need that rescue, This is not the original story
1. Hermoine Has a Breakthrough

Hermione sat at her desk, cup of tea steaming next to her, the spoon she'd left in there after adding her cream and sugar spinning itself around in lazy circles. A memo fluttered in through the gap between the bottom of the door and the carpet, then settled into her inbox, ignored.

Almost five years. It had been almost five years since her closest friend had disappeared. She stared down at the charts and scribbled notes next to a picture of the Lacus statue that had caused this whole mess in the first place.

"It should work," she muttered. "Why isn't it working."

The Lacus, literally translating to 'transport,' did exactly what it said on the tin. It transported a witch or wizard to a previously set location. It was different from a portkey in that it worked more like an assisted apparition - none of that pesky spinning about and flying through the air. They were useful because they could go through anti-apparition wards, since they were created on-site with a bit of the area's ambient magic. This allowed the statue and its wielder to actually resonate with the same 'frequency,' if you will, of the area they were trying to reach, therefore fooling the wards.

They had fallen out of popularity almost fifty years ago due to how difficult they were to create, along with their unreliability. The problem with magical places is that the power in the area was always fluctuating and changing. Hogwarts, for example, never held the same magical footprint for more than an hour or so due to the constant use of magic on its grounds by multiple wizards and creatures. People had found themselves dumped in the Atlantic Ocean, or just disappeared from the world entirely when using an out of date Lacus. This, Hermione theorized, is what happened to Harriet.

She had been attempting to reverse-engineer the Lacus statue for the past four years, but there were just so many factors to take into account. The wizard who had thrown it had been killed by the backlash, so he was no help, though she had found notes on it in his workshop. Apparently it was supposed to take him to Thailand, of all places.

Harriet had not been in Thailand - they checked, thoroughly. The ambient magic floating around after the battle had muddied up her frantic analyzing of the scene as they tried to figure out what had happened. Not to mention the stunner that had hit the thrice-cursed statue right when it activated.

Most of the wizarding world believed Harriet to be dead. Hermione and Ron refused to give up. If Harriet were dead, they would know, they would have felt it. Theirs was a bond born of struggle and magic and deep friendship. Harriet was alive, they just had to find her.

"Oh hello, Hermione. I see you've forgotten about our meeting," a dreamy voice said from the door.

Hermione's head snapped up to take in Luna Lovegood, smiling serenely at her from the doorway. She was wearing bright red silk pants with wide legs that pooled over her yellow flip flops, covering her bare feet all the way to her toes. Her top was a loose peasant blouse that matched the color of her sandals, and her earrings were large black hoops with little red tomato charms dangling from the ends.

"Oh, Luna, I'm so sorry. I don't know where my brain is today," Hermione apologized, and motioned her into the room.

Luna floated over to her desk, walking around it and looking down at the papers in front of Hermione.

"Oh, is that the statue that took Harriet away?" she asked.

Hermione swallowed. "Yes."

Luna tilted her head to the side. "I didn't know you were so attached."

Hermione gaped at her. Was she kidding? Harriet, Ron, and Hermione were more than just 'attached,' everybody knew that.

"I...love Harriet very much," she finally settled on, knowing better than to take offense to anything Luna said.

Luna blinked her large, watery eyes at her.

"I know that," she said gently, as if talking to a small child. "I meant the statue."

She motioned at the paperwork in front of them.

"Oh," Hermione said. "Well, I'm not. Attached, that is."

"Well then why are you looking so hard for it?" Luna asked, dismissing the work in front of her and moving back around the desk to sit in the visitor's chair in front of it.

Hermione took a deep breath, reaching for patience. "I'm trying to locate Harriet," she said.

"Then why are you spending so much time searching for a statue, if Harriet is who you seek?"

Hermione opened her mouth to snipe at Luna, then snapped it shut as a thought wiggled its way into her brain. That was - well, that was a good point. Of course, they'd tried to find Harriet when she went missing, using Point Me spells and Finder's Amulets and good old fashioned police work. But there were other ways of finding people, or, more specifically, the paths that people have taken through space and time. They were arcane, and bordering on dark, but...well, Hermione was willing to try anything at that point.

This whole time, Hermione had been focusing on the statue, convinced it was the answer to finding her friend, when perhaps she should have been focusing on Harriet.

"Luna, I'm sorry," she said, jumping to her feet and rushing to grab her bag and robes, "but I'm going to have to cancel."

"Oh, that's fine," Luna said, standing and making her way to the door. "Do say hello to Harriet for me, won't you?"

000

"Andromeda!" Hermione yelled as soon as she stumbled out of the floo and into the woman's house ten hours later. "Andromeda! Are you here?"

"For god's sake, child, keep it down," the woman hissed as she entered the living room, hair down and tying a sleep coat shut.

Hermione ignored her and dashed forward.

"Andromeda, the protection blanket that Harriet made for Teddy when he was an infant. Do you have it?" she said urgently, grabbing hold of the woman's hands.

For a moment Andromeda studied her, taking in her bloodshot eyes and hair that had become frizzy from all the times she'd run her hands through it that day.

"You've had a breakthrough," she said in a low voice.

"I - yes. Maybe. I don't know. I need something imbued with Harry's magic, something she gave willingly and with love for the ritual I found."

Along with some of her blood and a frankly large amount of blood from the practitioner, she thought to herself, but, well, it was probably best if she didn't mention that part. People were still a little sensitive about blood magic after Voldemort. Luckily they had samples of Harriet's blood stored at the ministry.

Andromeda, who had come from a Pureblood family with enough dark wizards in their closet to make her more than passingly familiar with such things, simply raised an eyebrow and didn't comment.

"I believe I have it stored in the attic. Come," she said, and Hermione followed her up some rickety stairs into a dusty room with a low ceiling, ignoring the creatures that skittered out of sight when Andromeda sent a ball of light to hover near the ceiling.

"Alright," she muttered to herself, and went over into the corner to rummage through a trunk for a few minutes, Hermione trying and failing not to shift from foot to foot with impatience.

"Here we are," Andromeda said in a soft tone, and lifted a blue cotton blanket with what was supposed to be a lamb but looked more like a confused dog embroidered on the front.

"She was so proud of this," she said in a low voice, and a small smile quirked up on her lips as she ran a hand over the soft material. She then took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders before thrusting the blanket towards Hermione.

"I hope this works," she said. "Teddy deserves to get another member of his family back."

Hermione met her eyes and nodded once, firmly, before carefully taking the blanket and apparating home.

She'd come across the spell the first time about six months ago when the Dark Wizard Strike Team was carefully going through the house of a witch they'd apprehended the day before. Hermione and a cursebreaker were given the dubious task of going through the woman's fairly large collection of books. Some were the darkest of the dark, some were just regular everyday spell books, and some were...something in between.

The book in question fell under the last category. It was titled Travelers of the Other Worlds, was extremely esoteric, and consisted of multiple theories on how one could step through the fabric that separated their world from other, divergent realities. At the time Hermione had dismissed it as theoretical dribble with no sound basis of truth - philosophical or otherwise.

Luna's words had niggled at something in her memory, however, and Hermione had raced down to evidence and promptly checked the book out. After some careful but frantic turning of pages, she came across the spell she wanted. It was written in a very old version of latin, but roughly translated to Walking the Paths of Those Before You. The author had included it as a possible way of following those creatures who could somehow step through portals into other worlds by following their magical signature.

Hermione ignored that part, as she wasn't actually concerned with getting to another world. She was interested in possibly discovering the path of her missing friend and following it. Even if that path took her into another dimension.

Thank goodness Andromeda had kept that baby blanket, as the book was very clear on the need for an object imbued willingly with the creature's magic in a positive capacity. Hermione sat patiently in her living room, supplies and magical items and books spread around her. What did one take on a rescue mission that would take you to an unknown place, possibly in a completely different dimension?

The fireplace flared green and Ron stepped out of it, looking exhausted and dirty and altogether done with everything. He'd spent the last few days chasing an animagus that could turn into a mole all across Scotland, of all places.

His wife looked up at him beamed, and for a moment he just blinked before returning her smile.

"Mione, watcha up to?" he asked, carefully stepping over a tent and around a pile of books - the top one sporting the ominous title of Surviving in a Wasteland: Magical Tips and Tricks for the Stranded Witch or Wizard - then leaned down to kiss her cheek.

Her big brown eyes met his own, flashing with an inner fire that he hadn't seen in, well, about four years, actually.

"Ron," she said a little breathlessly. "I think I've discovered a way to find Harriet."

000

They appeared in the middle of a rainstorm, because of course they did. The landscape was grey and dreary, consisting of dirt and rock and not much else, and the rain didn't help its appearance any.

Ginny wrinkled her nose and looked around from where she was standing back-to-back with George, wands out. Hermione cast a quick umbrella charm over all of them. Their auror robes were spelled against the weather, but it was still quite annoying to have the water drumming down on their hoods with such ferocity. Ron was already moving through the security wards they'd agreed to put down immediately upon landing, and Hermione went to join him while Ginny and George guarded their backs.

George wasn't an auror like the rest of them, but he'd lived through the war, too, and was always a good wizard to have at your back in a fight. He'd also insisted on coming with them when he learned where they would be going. Hermione hadn't the heart to argue with him - after all, he and Harriet had been in an on-again-off-again relationship since she was sixteen. She was pretty sure George had fallen in love with Harriet when she was fourteen and he'd seen her evade a rampaging dragon with only her broom and her wand.

The aftereffects of living through a war and his emotional unavailability after Fred's death paired with Harriet's distraction with Teddy and then the Strike Team had made it difficult for them to commit. When she disappeared, George had been in America, where'd been living for six months, working on opening a Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in New York. Hermione knew he'd always regretted not truly being with Harriet when he'd had the chance. Hopefully he'd get an opportunity to fix that mistake soon.

"Well, this place is depressing," Ginny finally said. "God, poor Harry, stuck on this rock for five years." Her tone was flippant, but her face was honestly worried.

"Well, she won't be stuck here for much longer," Hermione said with false confidence.

She then went about setting up an advanced 'find me' spell that had become almost rote the past five years. When she was done, she stared down at the parchment in fascination.

A rough outline of the area they were in had snaked across the page. They were in a place called 'Earth Country' - aptly named, that. A little star marking their location had appeared towards the southwest edge of the boundary line, and dotted lines made their way into existence, heading southeast. When they reached the border, another country popped into existence, this one called 'Grass.' It was much smaller than Earth Country, and the dotted lines moved across it, then entered another large geographical area called Fire Country. It continued its meandering way until finally it stopped almost smack dab in the middle. Then a dot appeared, and large letters appeared next to it.

"Village Hidden in the Leaves," Hermione said. She looked up at the determined faces staring back at her. "That's where we'll find Harriet."

000

Hari stared at Sakura. Sakura stared back.

"You're sure?" she finally said.

"Hari-sama, I'm the second best medic in the village. I'm sure."

"But..."

"Hari-sama. There's no doubt about it."

Hari leaned back on the hospital bed and stared at the screen showing an image of her two - two! - unborn children.

"Well," she said. "I suppose I can expect Shikaku to be even more ridiculous than the first time."

Sakura grinned at her. "Yep, most likely. You want some pictures?"

"Yes, probably should. I suppose it's about time to let Shikamaru know, though I'm sure he guessed yesterday when Shikaku tried to carry me up the Tower stairs to the Hokage-sama's office," she said a little ruefully.

Sakura snickered as her left hand flew over the keyboard next to them, her right still on the plastic wand that was glowing green and resting on Hari's abdomen.

"Well, you're about ten weeks along, now. Almost three months - there's probably no harm in telling your close family. It's not like Shikamaru will tell anybody until you're ready."

Hari hummed her agreement, sitting up and accepting the tissues Sakura handed her to wipe the goop off her stomach. The door opened, and Shikaku slouched in, looking sheepish. He crossed over to Hari and kissed her forehead.

"Sorry I'm late, sweetheart. Did I miss it?"

Sakura smiled wickedly behind his back and Hari bit her lip to keep back a smile as the medic spoke.

"Yes, but don't worry, I printed pictures." Shikaku perked up a little, and reached out to accept the square piece of paper, then squinted down at the blobs, head tilted to the side.

"Congratulations, Shikaku-sama," Sakura said cheerfully. "You're having twins!"

Hari had a perfect view of his face as the color drained from it and his mouth dropped open in an extremely rare expression of shock. A few minutes later they exited the building, Shikaku still looking a little wide eyed and shaky. He was shooting her furtive glances as they exited the building, as if waiting for her to collapse from the strain of being pregnant. When she turned towards the administration building his mouth opened, and she cut him off.

"If you're about to suggest that I take the day off from work, you should really rethink your next move," she said in a mild tone.

His mouth clamped shut, and she watched as his expression went from petulant to worried to determined. He opened his mouth. Her wand hand twitched. His jaw snapped shut and his shoulders hunched, somehow going from feared jounin commander to whiny child in the space of a moment.

Hari sighed and looped her arm through his, then stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I'll be careful, darling, I promise."

He grumbled a little, but seemed pleased at the endearment. Her chest tightened a little at just how much she loved him.

"You know, they're going to be quite the handful if they're anything like Sachiko," she said, and he slumped over again.

Sachiko had not been the normal sort of Nara so far. She had the brown hair, Nara skin tone and facial structure, and so far was shaping up to be a bit of a genius, but she'd apparently gotten Hari's temper along with her eyes. Shikamaru and Shikaku spent a lot of time staring down at the nineteen month old as she wailed and threw her body into contortions on the ground whenever she heard the dreaded "No" word.

Yesterday she'd climbed a tree in an attempt to be like her Aunt Rai, whom she had witnessed leaping from branch to branch in the Nara forest when they were playing in the shade there one day. Shikaku had stepped into the back yard just in time to see her jump for a branch and miss...and then bounce harmlessly a few times on the ground before giggling and attempting to do it all again. It was their first confirmation that she'd gotten another little something from Hari, as well. Shikaku had made the nanny, who had been making Sachiko's lunch at the time, break down into sobs before running away.

It was their third nanny to quit...that month. Shikaku pretty much trusted nobody with the care of his daughter outside of Hari, Shikamaru, Neji, and Rai. It was making it difficult for Hari to get anything done, as Jounin Commander trumped Contractor any day when one of them had to take off time for childcare.

Hari had agreed to assist the Village in an overhaul of their Military Police Force as a civilian contractor. The organization was a bit of a joke and had been for years - ever since the death of the clan that had originally run it. Since Hari had been part of a real police force, one that had been created from a government with a totally different perspective than the military-minded village Konoha had, Tsunade asked her to work with Naruto and Sasuke on rebuilding it from the ground up.

Hari had been ecstatic to put her training and knowledge to use, though every Nara she knew had gotten immediately pouty about it. Apparently they'd all gotten used to thinking of her as their magical princess, and having to actually wait their turn for her attention was excruciating. She'd gotten more requests for aide as the lady of the Nara clan in the past two months than she had in the six months before that combined. Ridiculous.

Even more ridiculous was how much she enjoyed feeling needed and wanted. Hari had assumed that being a part of a clan would be a bit stifling. Instead, it was like finding herself in the middle of a large family full of deadly, lazy, needy cats. Hari loved being part of the Nara clan, she really did, but they could go a little overboard with their possessiveness at times. Last week Rai had 'accidentally' tripped Naruto when he came to the compound to ask Hari's opinion on the process of assigning partners to officers.

"Hey Hari! How was your lunch break?" Naruto asked when she entered the conference room they'd been using as their headquarters.

"Oh, fine," she said with a small smile, and resisted the urge to put a hand to her stomach. That was a sure fire way to announce her pregnancy to all and sundry in a building full of ninja.

"Shikaku took me out to dumplings." Not exactly a lie - he'd bought some and forced her to eat a frankly disturbing amount of them before he'd walked her to the conference room door.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed but he didn't comment, instead pulling Naruto's attention back to plans for the remodel of the MPF. Hari sat down and pulled the draft of the handbook for securing a scene towards herself, ignoring the bickering of the two men as she started scribbling notes in the margins.

They decided to end their days a little early, as Naruto had some big meeting to prepare for and Sasuke had to...go do whatever it was Sasuke did. Hari darted out of the building, feeling a little guilty for wanting to avoid her husband. She loved him, but she was just not up to him staring down grocery bags like they were the enemy or his fumbling attempts to lift her over puddles at the moment.

She went to the market and spent a good forty five minutes wandering around aimlessly, greeting acquaintances and running her hands over produce before settling on dinner ingredients. She then slowly walked back to the compound, enjoying the late spring afternoon.

Hari's life was...well it wasn't perfect, of course, because nobody's was, really. But it was good. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little melancholy. Her first three years in the Elemental Nations had been fraught with danger, first as a displaced witch who didn't know the language or anything about the place she'd landed, and then later as she tried to keep her new family alive. Now that things were calmer, she found herself with more time to miss the people she'd left behind.

Sachiko would never know her Uncle Ron or Aunt Hermione, would never go to a Weasley family dinner, and now there were two new children on their way, and all she really wanted was to apparate straight to her best friends' house and tell them the news...

"Hari-sama, are you alright?" A gruff voice pulled her from her maudlin thoughts, and she jumped a little, fumbling the bags she'd been carrying in one hand. She would have dropped them if a pair of shadows hadn't reached out to steady them.

She blinked over at the man who had appeared next to her in the mostly-empty side street. He was a Nara, alright, though he was shorter than Shikaku by almost a four full inches, making him short compared to most of the men in his clan. Still, he had the brown eyes and olive skin, and his hair was pulled back into the Nara ponytail.

He was putting most of his weight on his right leg, and his hands were held together in a sign as he continued to hold up her groceries. Looped over his right wrist was a cane, and his name clicked in her head. Nara Toshiro. He'd been injured badly on a mission six months ago, and it had effectively ended his career as an active ninja. Hari had helped his family fill out the paperwork needed for him to receive a stipend from the clan that was set up to keep injured and retired shinobi fed and clothed.

Shikaku had expressed concern just last week that the man wasn't reacting well to the change - he was restless, and having trouble finding an in-village position that didn't drive him crazy.

"Toshiro-san," she greeted a little stupidly, and was surprised at how wet her voice sounded.

She realized with a start that she was crying. Great, just the impression she liked to make on her clan members. For some reason the thought made her tears fall a little faster. Usually when she cried Shikamaru and Shikaku went all fluttery and panicky, but to her surprise Toshiro's only reaction was a slight softening of his expression. He didn't make a move to come any closer or start looking around for people to kill.

"Hari-sama," he said in a gruff voice. "Is everything okay with..." his eyes drifted down to her stomach, where she'd laid the palm of her hand as she was lost in her depressing thoughts of her first real family.

"Oh!" she said in realization, and dropped her hand, instead fumbling with her grocery bags, adjusting her hold so that he could release his shadows. "No, nothing like that. The babies are fine."

He did the Nara slow blink at her. "Babies?"

Damn, usually she could keep a secret better than this. Now he knew there would be twins...wait, how had he known she was pregnant in the first place?

"...Everybody knows, huh?" she said after a moment of thought, and he smirked as he released his shadows and grabbed his cane off of his wrist.

"Shikaku-sama isn't exactly subtle about it," he said with a shrug, and she sighed. "Don't worry, the clan will keep it to ourselves until you're ready to announce it. Don't want a repeat of last time."

His tone was light, but the air around him darkened in a way that Hari had become familiar with the last few years.

Hari discreetly wiped at her eyes, feeling better for the change in subject. Talking about her fumbling, overprotective husband always cheered her up. He moved into step next to her, graceful despite the limp and cane. To her eternal gratitude he didn't insist on taking her bags for her. Smart man.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," she said after a few minutes. "It's just...hormones, you know."

He side-eyed her, probably doubting that was the full extent of the story, but didn't comment. After another moment he spoke again.

"I'm surprised Shikaku-sama let you do a whole grocery shopping trip on your own."

Hari sighed explosively, temper flaring. "Yes, well, I don't need his permission, do I?"

To her surprise, he let out a low, rich laugh. Usually people started ducking for cover when she lost her temper, even if her clan members looked delighted while they were doing so.

"You don't," he agreed. "Good on you, sneaking out. A Nara will subtly and not-so-subtly start trying to map out your life in a way that we think will keep you safe and happy. You've got to be on the lookout. We're kind of overbearing assholes that way."

Hari looked over at him in surprise. She had noticed, of course, some of Shikamaru's and Shikaku's more subtle approaches to getting her to do what they wanted her to do. Sometimes she let them get away with it, and other times she didn't, depending on the situation. It had enraged her at first - and still did at times - but eventually she'd realized that it was almost reflexive. They were strategists at heart, they looked at a situation and saw the paths laid out before them - what could happen, the best ways to prevent disaster, how to keep someone from ending up at point B when point C would make them much happier.

It was infuriating. It was endearing. It was something she knew she had to be firm about when it was important. She also never expected anybody else to mention it out loud.

"Yes," she said. "I had noticed that."

He smirked, but didn't say anything further. When they arrived at the house, he shifted uncomfortably and took a step back.

"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" she found herself asking. "I'll be taking over and watching Sachiko, but if you don't mind kids..."

His eyes narrowed and he studied her, probably wondering if she really wanted his company. The truth was, she did - she didn't want to be alone with just her daughter and her thoughts. Toshiro had succeeded in cheering her up, and she was suddenly curious about the man. He had always kept to himself, which was fine - Shikaku didn't force the members of their clan to be more involved than they wanted to be outside of their duties.

"Alright," he said in a slow drawl, and followed her up the steps.

"I'm home!" she called as she entered the house and moved into the kitchen, setting her bags down on the table and motioning for Toshiro to sit.

"Welcome home," Neji said, gliding into the kitchen. He inclined his head at Toshiro, who just grunted in response from where he was sitting, feet stretched out in front of him.

"Sachiko is sleeping. She had...an eventful day."

Hari sighed and rubbed at her brow.

"Do I even want to know?" she asked, knowing she sounded tired.

Neji placed a hand on her shoulder before reaching up to grab down three cups for tea.

"It seems yesterday's attempt at climbing tall things only to jump off was not an isolated incident," he said.

Hari slumped. "Bugger," she said in English, then continued in a language Neji and Toshiro could understand, "it's probably because her magic kept her from getting hurt yesterday. She thinks she's safe, but...she doesn't have control of it. She's going to break her neck if we're not careful."

Toshiro perked up. "She has your bloodline limit? I'd heard rumors, but..."

Hari huffed out a laugh. It really was impossible to keep things a secret in this clan.

"Yes. She's showing signs of it, but it's not something we can formally train her in for a few years at least. Where I'm from, we don't begin our education on it until we're eleven. The parts of ourselves that the power comes from isn't matured enough until then."

"Huh," was Tashiro's only response.

Neji helped her finish the tea, and then brought the tray to the table, pulling out her chair and then settling in next to her.

"Thank for watching her today," Hari said once they were all sipping at their tea. "I don't know how I'm going to find another nanny. You're leaving for a mission tomorrow, right?" Neji nodded, and Hari sighed.

"Shikamaru is also busy in the Intelligence Department."

"And Rai is on that escort mission. Ugh, I get why Shikaku ran off the last nanny, but the one before that was perfectly capable," she grumbled.

Neji shot her an amused look. "Yes, well. He does tend to have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to you, the twins, and Sachiko."

His eyes drifted to her stomach for a moment before looking pointedly away, and she groaned.

"Why do I even attempt to keep something a secret in this village," she grumbled, then pulled the ultrasound out of her pocket and plopped it in front of him. He picked it up and studied it, then frowned.

"Is that...?"

"Two little clumps? Yes." She couldn't stop the grin that came over her face. "Eito and Natsu are going to flip out."

Neji's lip quirked. "Shikamaru will be..."

"An idiot? Yeah, I know," Hari said, and took a sip of her tea.

Toshiro, who had been watching them from under half-lidded eyes, let out a surprised laugh. He opened his mouth to say something, then frowned and turned his head to look fully into the family room. It was located across from the kitchen, and from his position he was able to see directly into the room. His eyes widened, then he stood and blurred out of the kitchen.

Knowing better than to dismiss a reaction like that, Neji was barely a moment behind him, Hari following, wand already in her hand. She entered the room just in time to see Toshiro snatch Sachiko from out of the air from where she'd toppled off the top of the bookshelf.

Hari couldn't help her small gasp. They hadn't even heard her wake up. Damn the sneaky smart Nara gene, anyway. For a moment, everybody froze, Neji halfway across the living room, Hari in the doorway with her wand raised, and little Sachiko, who was staring up at the Nara cradling her in his arms with an unimpressed expression. He returned it with one of his own.

Finally, Sachiko broke the stalemate when she pointed to the top of the shelf and said in her most imperious voice, "Up."

Toshiro looked extremely unmoved by her request. "No," he said.

He ignored the way the girl was bristling in indignation, instead walking over to the couch and plopping her down on it.

"You aren't supposed to climb, and you know it. Ah-ah, don't try to fool me with those sad eyes," he said, and sank into a chair across from her.

Sachiko's bright green eyes narrowed at him. She then brought her little pudgy finger back up and pointed to the shelf.

"Up," she said again.

"Nope," Toshiro said, popping the 'p' and leaning back in the chair, the picture of relaxation.

Sachiko huffed, and shuffled towards the edge of the couch. When she got there, however, she was blocked by a wall of shadows. She pressed against them. They didn't move. Toshiro yawned. Sachiko's lower lip trembled, and she looked over to Neji, widening her eyes.

"Neji-niisan, help." Neji took a step forward, and Hari reached out to grab his arm and pull him back.

Sachiko had been overly spoiled by the men in her life, and it was becoming a problem. Hari was interested to see how Toshiro handled her daughter who was, admittedly, already firmly in her terrible twos despite being a few months away from her birthday.

Neji sighed, but didn't protest, though he did turn his attention to the window. Coward. Sachiko turned to Hari, who was generally less likely to give into her whims, but was apparently seen as her last hope.

"Momma," she whimpered. Hari bit the inside of her cheek to keep from reacting.

"Now don't you go looking for help from them, Sachiko-chan. You know better than to climb, and you're gonna sit there for awhile and think about what you've done."

Sachiko stared at him in disbelief, then down at the shadows still hemming her in, then back at her two family members. Her expression clearly said Why are you letting this happen to me?

She pressed against the shadow. No change. She kicked it, and they still didn't budge. Hari twitched when she threw her whole little body against them, worried she'd hurt herself. Instead, the shadows stretched just enough to lesson the impact before gently placing her back on the couch.

Hari closed her eyes as her adorable daughter promptly threw herself onto her back and started to scream.

"Well," Neji said, backing out of the room. "I should head home and pack for my trip tomorrow."

He and Shikamaru lived in a house Shikaku had funded for them as a wedding present. It was a whole two minute walk away - if you were walking at a normal pace.

Hari rolled her eyes, then leaned into him and pressed her lips to his cheek. "Alright, be safe."

Neji inclined his head before leaving the house as quickly as he could without losing any of his usual Hyuuga poise.

Toshiro had stood and limped to stand next to Sachiko, who was twisting her body into some seriously impressive shapes.

"Listen. You've gotta sit in that circle for two minutes... without the crying. Once you've done that, your punishment for climbing without permission will be over, and you can get off the couch. Until then, you're stuck."

She glared at him and screamed at the top of her lungs. He shrugged and went back to his chair. Hari, seeing she wasn't helping the situation, turned and went back to the kitchen to start making dinner. Sachiko's screams grew louder. Every once in awhile she heard Toshiro's calm voice reminding her that she only had to sit quietly in the circle for two minutes and then she'd get out.

Hari had chopped all the vegetables by the time her crying tapered off into little whimpers. A few minutes later, as she was putting the rice into the cooker and chicken into the oven, she heard the soft murmur of voices and the crinkling of paper. She gave it another moment before peeking her head into the room. Her lips quirked up at the sight that met her.

Sachiko was curled onto Toshiro's lap, who was now sitting on the couch, her little cheeks still red and wet with tears, but she was calm now. She was watching in fascination as Toshiro folded a piece of paper. As he did so, he narrated a story about a baby crane who had become separated from her family when they were out on a day trip to the pond.

When he finished his folding, a small origami crane sat on the table, and his shadows pooled out onto it, forming what a pond. They picked up the crane and pulled him away from the edge and into the middle, then to the far side.

"And when the lost little crane next looked around, she saw that she was now surrounded by frogs..."

Hari leaned against the door jam and crossed her arms over her chest as little frog shadows appeared. She watched as the crane went through her adventures, the shadows a backdrop to the story. Finally, in the end, when the crane had found her way home with the help of a frog, a fish, and a lily pad, the shadows lifted the crane and brought it to a wide-eyed Sachiko. She took it shyly, turning it in her hands and studying the intricate folds.

"Toshi-oji," she breathed, and Hari had to cover a laugh when she turned large adoring eyes on him, making him twitch.

"Sachi-chan, sweetheart. Can mommy I have a hug? I missed you all day."

Sachiko carefully set the crane to the side, then clambered out of Toshiro's lap to dash across the room on her pudgy, wobbly baby feet, her betrayal from earlier forgotten. Hari leaned down and scooped her up, hugging her to her chest and kissing the thick, unruly mass of dark brown hair on her head. Hari hadn't realized how much she could love something until she'd had Sachiko.

"Mommy!" Sachiko said, pulling back. "I got a crane!" she turned and pointed at Toshiro, who was leaning back against the couch and dozing.

"Yes, I saw. Toshiro-san told you a very nice story. Did you tell him thank you?"

Sachiko's eyes widened, and she wiggled, a clear sign that she wanted down. Hari obliged, setting her on her feet and watching in amusement as she ran back over to Toshiro, putting a hand on his knee to get his attention.

He opened one eye and looked down at her. "Yeah?"

She smiled up at him sweetly. "Toshi-oji, thank you."

His lip quirked up, and he reached out and ruffled her hair. "No problem, kid."

Hari set Sachiko up with some crayons and a large sheet of paper at the kitchen table and made Toshiro a fresh cup of tea, since his had gone cold. Sachiko had immediately begun drawing a picture for 'Toshi-oji' after ensuring that he sat directly next to her.

"That was impressive," Hari said after she'd checked the meat and sat down across from Toshiro.

"I've got nieces and nephews. I'm used to it," he said. He studied her for a moment, then said, "You guys let her get away with those fits?"

Hari gave him a rueful smile. "I'm afraid she's got Shikaku and Shikamaru wrapped around her finger. I generally ignore them when it's just her and I, so she's not so bad until they come home. Then..."

He chuckled, and sipped his tea. "Pushovers," he said, and she laughed.

"Yes," she agreed. She bit her lip and studied him for a moment. "Toshiro, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but, I need to ask."

Toshiro stiffened, but tilted his head to let her know he was listening. "Are you interested in taking a job as Sachiko's nanny?"

He stared at her, obviously not having expected that, and she hurried to explain herself. "I just...I don't know what you're doing now, or if you're even looking, and it certainly doesn't pay what missions do, but it's still higher than a normal nanny job because, let's face it, it's half bodyguard half nanny -"

"Hari-sama," he cut in, and she snapped her mouth shut. "You know, with this bum leg, I'm not the fighter I used to be."

Hari shrugged. "You seem to have control of your shadows still. And you're a jounin - a limp isn't going to change the fact that you're deadly. And you actually know how to deal with kids. It's...I mean...I know you're probably brilliant and could be off strategizing or what have you -"

"I hate those damn desk jobs," he said with a huff, then leaned back, looking thoughtful. "Half bodyguard, huh?"

Hari shrugged, then nodded. "Yes. I mean, it's only a matter of time before her bloodline limit becomes common knowledge, and people get more serious with the kidnapping attempts. There are still bits and pieces of the anti-shinobi group running about, I doubt they've completely given up on their dream of possessing a magical person. And, well, any other number of threats. I have some measures in place for protection, and of course we've upped clan security, but..."

"What kinda pay are we talking?" He asked as she ran out of steam. Hari told him, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Damn, that's not bad for an in-village position. Fine. I'll try it out." Hari beamed at him, and his expression went sulky as his cheeks turned a little pink.

"No need to be so energetic about it," he grumbled.

Sachiko held up a picture that was obviously two people holding hands, one much shorter than the other.

"Toshi-oji...Sachiko!" she said, pointing to each of figures on a purple and blue scribbled background proudly. Toshiro's lips quirked up into a small half-smile.

"Thanks, kid," he said, then sighed when both of the females at the table gave him bright smiles.

Any further discussion was left for later as Eito and Natsu burst into the house.

"Hari-nee! You'll never guess what we did at the Academy today!" Natsu yelled as she pushed her brother out of the way so she could enter the kitchen first.

She paused when she saw Toshiro, and executed a curtsy. "Oh, hello Nara-ojisan, I didn't see you there. I'm Natsu, and this is my brother Eito."

He raised an eyebrow at her proper introduction, but Natsu still had a little bit of her princess roots in her. "Nice to meet you," he said. Introductions over, they both crowded around Sachiko, complimenting her work and eventually dragging the little girl outside to play.

Hari sighed. "Stay in the yard!" she called as she went to start cooking the vegetables.

She'd seen Shikamaru walk past the window from the corner of her eye, so wasn't surprised when she heard gasps of delight and his groan as he was tackled by two eight year olds and a toddler. She smiled and shook her head, and behind her she heard Toshiro chuckle quietly beneath his breath. Sadness from earlier that afternoon forgotten, she asked Toshiro if he'd like to stay for dinner just as she heard Shikaku announcing his arrival home.

000

Toshiro had been Sachiko's nanny for three weeks, and so far he hadn't quit or been run off by her huffy husband. Sachiko loved him, and both Shikamaru and Shikaku had started to wear little glowers when she went on and on every evening at the dinner table about the things they did that day, even if it was mostly babble.

Neji and Hari shared a lot of can you believe we married these men looks, but other than that the transition was blissfully drama free. Sachiko's fits had reduced by a large margin, though she still tended to get whiny around her father and older brother simply because she could. Hari and Toshiro also got along so well that Shikaku had started giving him narrow-eyed looks, though he knew better than to actually say anything.

Hari's temper was already starting to flare more easily and burn hotter than usual. Every time a Nara popped up to help her with whatever task she was working on they looked a mix of delighted and terrified, since it was inevitable that she'd give them a piece of her mind that always boiled down to I'm pregnant not an invalid what is wrong with this clan, why didn't I choose the Inuzuka, they're run by women which means they'll have about twenty times more common sense than you people.

She was currently sitting across a conference table from Sasuke, who was rolling his eyes at Naruto's proposal that they just do away with prisons altogether and instead invest in rehabilitation. "Idiot, you can't just brainwash people into behaving," he scoffed.

Naruto bristled. "Hey, just because I actually want to help people -"

"It's not a bad idea," Hari cut in, knowing if she let them get going that they'd eventually devolve into a wrestling match. Seriously, the two of them just needed to get their shit together and then get naked together. As long as they didn't forget to include Sakura. Hari spaced out a little at the images this thought process created, and was pulled back to the present by Naruto waving his hand in her face.

"Hari-san, are you okay? You got all red and spacey!" She cleared her throat and willed herself to stop blushing.

"Oh. Yes. Sorry, it's just - a little warm in here?" Naruto nodded solemnly.

"It is a little. Do you want me to talk to someone -"

"No! No, that's fine, I can just -" she took out her wand and cast a cooling charm, sighing in relief when the cool air hit her cheeks. Stupid hormones. She wondered if she could track down Shikaku. Maybe he was alone in his office...

"Hari-san, maybe we should stop for the day," Naruto said in a concerned voice, and she was once again pulled from her fantasies with a jolt. That was it, she was never getting pregnant again. She'd just have to be happy with the three plus Eito, Natsu, and Shikamaru...okay, so that was actually a lot of family.

"No, sorry, I'm fine. Just..." she trailed off. Her pregnancy was basically the worst kept secret in the village, but most shinobi were too polite to talk about it until she officially announced it, so Naruto just nodded and Sasuke grunted.

"Anyway, rehabilitation is a good idea, Naruto, but I still think we need to have a system for incarceration in place. With the overarching goal of being able to reintegrate into society if possible." He nodded seriously and she exchanged a look with Sasuke.

Naruto was, in some ways, very naive. He had come in contact with the darkest of people, it's true, but she wasn't sure he'd every come across the horrible, everyday monsters that you dealt with in law enforcement. Hari firmly believed in the power of love and redemption, but she knew that some people just weren't interested in it. Those people needed to be kept out of society.

Before they could continue their conversation, there was a knock on the door, and it opened to reveal Shikaku. She eyed his hips with interest - they looked particularly yummy that day, especially when she remembered the way she'd had her thighs wrapped around them just that morning. He cleared his throat, and her eyes darted to his face. For a moment, he looked amused, but then a serious expression that he only wore when shit was really going down replaced the humor.

She stood. "The kids -"

"Are fine. We have a...situation. Tsunade-sama needs you. She asked Naruto and Sasuke to come, too."

Hari quickly packed her things into her satchel, and sighed but didn't argue when Shikaku took it from her and put it over his shoulder. He was genuinely unnerved by something. It was subtle, but she could tell in the stiff way he held himself, and the way his eyes were darting around the room. He settled a hand to the small of her back, and she was surprised to feel it tremble.

To her confusion, they didn't head for the tower. Instead, they went down. When they made it to the street level and turned down a hallway Hari had never been in before, she had to breath through her nerves. Just what was going on? Shikaku opened the door to a stairwell, and held out a hand, entering first in an obvious bid to check for threats.

Sasuke and Naruto, who had been furiously arguing about something behind them, went silent and alert at that. Hari frowned, and subtly released her wand into her hand as Shikaku waived them through, looking a little sheepish for a moment, and she realized he'd done it without thinking. Her husband was...shaken up. What in the world was going on?

They went down two flights, and Hari was a little annoyed when she discovered she was out of breath. This pregnancy sapped her energy more than the last one had. Though she supposed carrying two was probably a more of a strain. Or it could be the two small cakes she'd eaten for lunch under Sasuke's judging eyes while ignoring the healthy bento she'd packed.

Finally, they came to a thick metal door that Shikaku opened easily, and he sent her an almost apologetic look as he slipped through first, holding up a hand as he looked around before motioning them through. Hari's back was stiff with nerves as she stepped in.

"Shikaku, what is going on?" she hissed as she took in the grey gloomy hallway lined by dim, stuttering lights.

"This is where we keep people for interrogation," Sasuke said abruptly, and she glanced back at him.

His face could have been carved from stone, it was so emotionless, and from the worried looks Naruto was sending him, she assumed he had spent some time there when he first returned to the village.

"That's right," Shikaku said, then let out a breath of frustration. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but the the Hokage commanded me not to say anything to you. She wants...she wants to see your reaction for herself," he said, and gritted his teeth.

She reached out and wrapped her hand around his much larger one, fisted at his side. After a moment, it relaxed, and she threaded her fingers through his. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay," she said in her rarely used Harriet Potter, Girl Who Lived voice.

He sent her an inscrutable look, but didn't answer. Okay, maybe nervous wasn't a strong enough word for what Shikaku was feeling. She'd never seen him scared before. It was disconcerting, and she straightened her shoulders. Whatever it was, she wouldn't let it hurt him.

They had passed a few doors, but Shikaku didn't slow until they came to the last door before the end of the hallway. He opened it after letting go of her hand, and Hari took in the group standing in the room with trepidation. There were no chairs or tables - it was just a grey cube, the only change in the monotony a pair of black curtains blocking out something on the far wall. Harry assumed there was an interrogation room on the other side of a one-way mirror beneath it.

Tsunade, Inoichi, and a man with deep scars on his face and wearing his hitai-ate on a bandana were standing in a loose circle. They filed in, and Hari shifted uncomfortably as everybody's focus landed on her.

"Hari-san," Tsunade said in a hard voice she'd never heard from her before. "This is Morino Ibiki, he works in interrogation. I believe you know everybody else."

Hari's eyes darted to her husband for a moment, but his expression had become unreadable. Was she in some sort of trouble? She greeted Ibiki politely.

"Hari-san, I'm only going to ask you this once," Tsunade said, and Hari straightened her back in response to the challenge in her eyes. "Did you come through from your world on your own? Are you sure nobody else was with you?"

Hari blinked in surprise, brow furrowing. Out of everything that Tsunade could have asked, that was the last thing she expected.

"I - yes. I told you, I was the only one caught in the statue's spell that I knew of. I - I looked for my group in all the ways I knew how. It was only me," she said, and looked down at her feet. "If you don't believe me, ask Ino - she saw everything when she mind walked me."

Hari's hand tightened on her wand, grip suddenly slick with sweat, and she didn't miss the way Ibiki's eyes flicked towards it suspiciously.

"What - what is this about?" she finally demanded. When nobody answered, she narrowed her eyes. "Somebody needs to tell me why I'm here," she said.

Tsunade sighed. "Ibiki, show her," she said.

Shikaku opened his mouth, but snapped it shut when Tsunade glared at him.

"I already told you that this is how we're going to do it. It's not up for debate." the woman said.

Hari reached out and squeezed his arm, not sure what was happening but also not wanting him to get in a fight with somebody that could make his life seriously miserable. He relaxed minutely, but it was obvious he was unhappy about whatever was about to happen.

Her attention was pulled to the curtains when Ibiki moved over to them and, without fanfare, whipped them open. Hari was right, there was an interrogation room on the other side of what must have been a one-way mirror.

When she saw who was in the room, her body went numb with shock, and her vision swam. Her wand hit the ground with a clatter, and there was surprised shouting - Naruto - as she swayed. She would have fallen, but Shikaku had caught her and was holding her up with an arm behind her back.

After a moment, her vision cleared, though she was aware that she was shaking in shock and disbelief. Sitting at the small metal table, cups of tea steaming in front of them as they conversed with eachother quietly, were Ron and Hermione.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-XX-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

**Next time.**

**Hari confronts her past, and the Weasleys get multiple surprises. **

**In other news, Shikaku is still hopeless.**


	2. The Golden Trio Reunites

Hari stared at the two people on the other side of the glass in disbelief, leaning against Shikaku and ignoring the death glare he was giving everybody in the room. She watched them closely, hungrily taking in the fond exasperation Hermione was obviously feeling when Ron said something that was most likely ridiculous. From the way his lips quirked up, he'd done it on purpose.

Exasperating Hermione was a sure-fire method of getting the woman to calm down when she was feeling stressed out or overwhelmed. In other words, giving her a chance to boss them around was the best form of Hermione stress relief.

"It's really them," she finally said, the first thing that had come out of her mouth since her embarrassing dizzy spell. The people around her went quiet, and she was aware of their gazes on her. She turned and looked up at Shikaku, who was gritting his teeth.

"It's Ron and Hermione. They're really - they're here." Her voice cracked on the last word, and just like that the world snapped back into focus, and she straightened.

She took a step towards the door, and was immediately stopped by the hand tightening around her waist.

"Shikaku," she said, voice firm. "Let me go." Now that the shock had passed, she was desperate to see them.

Ibiki snorted from where he was leaning against the wall. "Yeah, like we'll just let you waltz into a room with -"

"Enough, Ibiki," Tsunade snapped. Her brown eyes narrowed at Hari. "You're sure they're not a danger to you?"

Hari met her eyes squarely, hand tightening on the wand that Naruto had picked up for her once she was standing on her own again.

"Hokage-sama, don't," Shikaku said in a voice that sounded almost pleading.

"I'm sure," Hari said confidently, ignoring the guilt that moved through her when Shikaku stiffened.

Tsunade sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We took their wands when they turned themselves in," she said.

Hari forced herself to remain impassive. She highly doubted they had actually handed their wands over. Knowing Hermione, Tsunade was now in possession of a couple of transfigured sticks, and Hermione and Ron had hidden theirs with some sort of spell.

"No," Shikaku said, and Hari turned and blinked up at him.

"Excuse me?" she said in a cool tone, but he didn't meet her gaze, instead focusing on Tsunade.

"She's a civilian member of the Nara clan. Unless you get the council to back you up, you can't override me on this."

Hari stepped away from him. "You would keep me from them?" She said, and he glanced at her.

Whatever he saw on her face made him flinch minutely.

"They're my family. I haven't seen them for five years. I thought I'd never see them again. Shikaku, you know how much I -" she took a deep breath to stave off her temper, hand fisting at her side. "Why would you do this?"

He stared at her. "We don't even know it's them," he said, voice pleading. "It could be a trick. Please, Hari, I don't want to risk you."

"It's them. I can tell," she said, turning back to them just in time to witness Hermione giving Ron a light smack to the back of his head as she scolded him.

"Definitely them," she said with a wet laugh. She took a shaking breath and turned back to Shikaku.

"Please. You can come with me. I swear, they won't hurt me."

She met his gaze, and after a moment he sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Fine," he bit out.

Hari glanced at Tsunade, who inclined her head, and motioned for Sasuke to go in first. Taking a deep breath, she moved past a silent Naruto, and followed Sasuke as he opened the door. Shikaku was a steady presence at her back.

"-Seriously, Ron, do you think about anything other than your stomach?" Hari heard Hermione's voice say as the door opened.

Her throat constricted and she swallowed painfully before following Sasuke into the room.

000

Hermione looked up as the door opened. A young man with pale skin and dark eyes stepped inside. She only focused on him long enough to note that he looked just as dangerous as the people who had taken them into custody after they'd turned themselves in.

It had only taken a few days of reconnaissance for them to realize that this dimension housed a different type of magic than what they were used to. One that allowed people to gain super strength and speed and manipulate the elements.

The people of the village seemed happy enough, which spoke well of what may or may not be happening to her friend. When they'd tried to enter the village for further information gathering, however, they'd almost been caught numerous times despite spells and the invisibility cloak. The first time a man with a large dog smelled them. The second time, Ginny had ended up being stabbed by what looked like a throwing star when a guard had somehow sensed their presence despite their invisibility.

Their Find Me spell for Harriet also went haywire once they were outside the village itself, and Hermione had realized it was due to wards that had been put up. She had recognized the work immediately as Harriet's, and they'd been forced to reevaluate her situation. If Harriet was putting up wards, and the people of the village didn't seem miserable or mistreated, it was very likely that Harriet had actually integrated into this world.

If that was the case, then the best way to get to her was to turn themselves in. Of course, they weren't stupid about it. From what Hermione had been able to garner from her observations, the village was under the control of a military leader. While it seemed like the forces were there to protect and not subjugate, it was better to be safe than sorry. So she and Ron had come up with a plan. The two of them would turn themselves in, and offer up transfigured versions of their wands when they did so.

Hermione had assumed that the wands would clue the people who apprehended them into the fact that they were like Harriet - a witch and a wizard - and hopefully they would bring her to them. Ginny and George would stay behind to act as their rescue team if they didn't appear within a few days. Plans in place, they'd walked up to the gate a day ago, and Hermione hadn't bothered to let the guards know that she and Ron could understand everything they were saying thanks to the translation spell she'd cast over them.

Instead they'd put their hands over their heads while speaking English after placing their fake wands on the ground in front of them. The guards had visibly paled at the sight of the sticks - so they most likely did know Harriet - and within a few minutes more guards had appeared and they'd fallen into a whispered discussion of what to do with them.

"Do you think they're after Hari-sama?" a woman with dark green hair asked.

"If they think they'll get through her clan, they're crazy. Not to mention what the princess will do to them even if they did make it."

Hermione had frowned at that. Hari could be Harriet, of course, but what did they mean, princess?

Then a gruff, scarred man wearing a bandana appeared, and ten minutes later they found themselves in an interrogation room. They continued to pretend not to understand the conversations around them, but these people were paranoid enough not to give a lot away in their presence despite the perceived language barrier. This was the first time she'd seen somebody other than the scarred angry man and the stern blonde man for hours.

Hermione's eyes flitted past the new face to settle on the person behind him. She gasped, and heard Ron's surprised intake of air next to her. Sandwiched between two of the natives of this world was a whole, healthy-looking Harriet. For a moment Hermione just drank in the sight of her best friend. Her eyes were the same green she remembered, her hair the same unruly black cascade. She was still small, especially next to the two tall, imposing figures that had entered the room with her.

She was wearing a short kimono-style dress over black pants, a look she'd noted on many of the women living in the village during their failed reconnaissance.

"H-Harriet?" Ron croaked, and the girl's eyes filled with tears.

"Ron," she replied, and took a step forward, but was stopped by the man behind her when he wrapped one of his hands around her arm.

"Let me go, Shikaku," Harriet said in the native language. "It's them."

"Hari," he said, and Hermione frowned when she saw the worry in his eyes. "How can you be sure? You told me yourself - your people can make themselves look like - like somebody else."

Ron got a belligerent look on his face, and Hermione grabbed his arm when it looked like he would step forward. The other man in the room tensed, and she had a feeling they wouldn't like the results if Ron got aggressive.

"Ask us a question," Hermione said in English - the translation spell only worked one way, so she couldn't speak directly to the man.

Harriet's head whipped back to her.

"What did she say?" the man - Shikaku - asked.

"She told me to ask them a question - something only they would know," Harriet said thoughtfully. The other, unnamed ninja scoffed.

"Please, there are ways of getting secrets from people."

Hermione bristled a little at his condescending tone, but otherwise didn't respond.

"Secrets, yes," Hari said slowly, face going thoughtful even as she leaned toward Hermoine and Ron.

Hermione almost laughed when she realized she and Ron were also leaning towards her, all three of them wanting to cross the distance but unable to without setting off the terrifying men in the room with them.

And just what is she to them - to the man named Shikaku especially - that he would react this way? He looked ready to throw his body in front of Harriet's at the slightest provocation to take some proverbial bullet.

Hermione set that thought aside to mull over later, instead listening as Harriet continued speaking.

"If somebody had extracted information from them as a way to provide proof of who they were, they would go for the secrets, you're right. The big things. Not the small details that only friends share." Harriet smiled, and Hermione took another step forward, desperate to just touch after all this time. Ron pulled her back when the unnamed man shifted, and she shivered at the intent on his face.

"I made a blanket for Teddy when he was a baby," Harriet said in English. She spoke it awkwardly, as though she were out of practice - probably because she was. "Describe it to me."

Ron snorted next to her, and Hermione's lip quirked. "What, you mean the blue monstrocity with the lamb-dog on the front?"

Harriet let out a sob, then reverted back to the other language. "It's them. Shikaku, baby, please, please -" and then she was darting past the second man after a sharp, pained word from Shikaku, and yes Hermione hadn't missed the endearment, but she was too busy wrapping her arms around Harriet, burying her face into her shoulder as she finally, finally, was reunited with her friend.

Ron had joined the hug, and all three of them were crying and talking over each other almost incoherently.

"How did you find me -"

"I'm so sorry it took so long, Harry, I'm sorry -"

"Blimey, I can't believe we found you. You're alive -"

After a few minutes, they all calmed down enough to pull back, though they kept their arms loosely wrapped around each other, forming a triangle. Hermione knew she was beaming despite the tears on her face, but it was okay because her husband and best friend were also smiling and it was just...it was the happiest she'd been in so long.

"Right," Harriet finally said, then gave a breathy, giddy laugh. "You're here! You - you're in front of me. God, I missed you two. But... how are you here?"

"Hari, sweetheart," Shikaku said, voice strained.

Hermione saw that he was only a foot away, whole body tense, eyes a little wide and lips pressed together so hard they were white around the edges.

"How about an introduction?"

"Can you give us a moment?" Hermione snapped, and Harriet's eyes, which had gone to the man, darted back to Hermione's face.

Her brow furrowed, and then she burst into laughter.

"Hermione, you sneaky witch! You can understand what we're saying!" she said in English.

She shifted uncomfortably. "A translation spell, you know," she said haughtily.

By Harriet's flabbergasted expression she didn't know. Hermione groaned in exasperation.

"Harriet Lily Potter, are you telling me that you became stranded in the middle of an alternate dimension where nobody spoke your language and you forgot about the Universal Translation Spell?" Hermione scolded.

Harriet grimaced and rubbed the back of her neck, and it was such a familiar motion that Hermione's chest squeezed painfully and her eyes filled with fresh tears. God, she'd missed this woman so much.

"Well, I can't exactly forget about something I never knew, can I?" she said a bit defensively and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It's in Section Three, Part B in the Auror handbook, Harriet."

"Uh..." Harriet said, and laughed nervously. "Right, right."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, but decided not to lecture her on the fact that Harriet hadn't paid the attention she should have to the book. Harriet then turned to the man - Shikaku.

"Hermione cast a translation spell, she can understand what you're saying," she said almost cheerfully, and Hermione winced at his murderous expression.

"We can't speak the language, though!" she hurried to say. "We weren't pretending about...that."

Harriet raised an eyebrow, but repeated what she'd said to a still unimpressed-looking Shikaku.

"Right, well, introductions then," Harriet said in the foreign language. "Shikaku, Sasuke-san these are my very best friends and family, really, Weasley Hermione and Ron. Ron and Hermione, this is my friend, Uchiha Sasuke - uh, you should probably call him Uchiha-san - and, um." Hermione narrowed her eyes, knowing that look on Harriet's face. It was the one she got before saying something that she was sure would set her friends off.

"This is Nara Shikaku. My, uh, husband."

For a moment, nobody spoke, Unsurprisingly, it was Ron who broke the silence.

"You - you're - what? Hermione, I think your spell is broken, because I'm pretty sure I just heard the word husband when whatever she said must mean something else. Like - like 'guy too old to marry my pseudo-sister or - or!" he sputtered and flailed while Hermione just stood there, frozen.

Harriet stepped back and to the side so that she was standing next to the man, and he relaxed minutely and put an arm around her waist.

"You heard right, Ron," she said in a wry tone. "We're married. Have been for, um, almost three years now."

Hermione studied the man in front of them. It was true that he was older - probably by ten or fifteen years - but that wasn't what struck Hermione and made her stomach flutter in worry for Harriet. He was fairly tall - as tall as Ron, even. His dark hair was up in a spiky ponytail, and there was no denying that he was handsome with his dark eyes and high cheekbones. Anybody could see, however, that the man was dangerous. The scars across the side of his face just paid proof of that.

"Harriet," she said, voice calm. "I need you to tell me, right now, if you're married because you want to be."

Ron went still next to her, obviously having not thought through the implications. Harriet had arrived penniless, unable to speak the language, surrounded by super powered individuals. Who knew what she'd been forced to do to survive? If Harriet even hinted she'd been forced into something...Hermione would destroy this whole village.

Harriet's eyes widened, and slipped out of an unhappy-looking Shikaku's hold, though he made no move to stop her. Then Hermione was being hugged fiercely. She hadn't even realized she'd been shaking, the possibilities of what Harriet might have been through while waiting for them to rescue her crashing over Hermione. She struggled to gasp in air as Harriet's voice fell over her.

"No, Hermione, it's not like that, I promise. I love him, I'm happy, I'm okay. It's okay, Moine, it's okay."

After a few minutes Hermione's fear faded and she came back to herself. She realized suddenly that she was kneeling on the floor, Harriet's arms around her and Ron kneeling by her side, hand running up and down her back. There were tears on her face, and it hit her, suddenly, that they were both there. This wasn't the first minor panic attack she'd had since Harriet disappeared, but before it had been Ron talking her through it. Now it was both of them.

Well then what in the world are you crying about? She told herself sternly as she leaned back and wiped at her eyes. She's here, she's alive. Stop blubbering.

"Right," she said, moving to stand. Harriet hurried to stand with her, and she had to slap both her and Ron away with shaking hands as they tried to help steady her.

"So. You love him, then?" she said brusquely, turning to study Shikaku with narrowed eyes, who was now looking thoughtful and less like he was ready to kill her and Ron.

Sasuke was leaning against the wall, apparently bored with the emotional revelations.

"I do," Harriet said earnestly, and Hermione let out a breath.

This was - this was a lot more complicated than she thought it would be.

"Well, then, please excuse my rudeness, Mr. Nara," she said, stepping forward and holding out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

As Harriet stuttered out a translation, the man reached out, moving slowly to telegraph his movements, and returned the handshake.

"I am honored to meet you, too, Hermione-san," he returned. He said her name slowly, having some trouble pronouncing it, but she appreciated the effort.

She dropped her hand back to her side and elbowed a glowering Ron, who just huffed and crossed his arms. For a moment, the two men studied each other with narrowed eyes, until finally the Weasley held out his hand.

"Well, I guess it's obvious that you've been taking care of Harry while we couldn't. So. Thank you. I guess," he said grudgingly.

"I am not translating that," Harriet grumbled, and Hermione let out a slightly hysterical giggle as Ron shook Harriet's husband's hand. This was just too surreal.

"Well," Hermione said, voice bright. "We should probably let Ginny and George know we aren't dead."

"Oh fuck, George," Ron blurted, color leaching from his cheeks as Harriet cut in.

"Oh god, George is here? In the Elemental Nations?" She said in the other language.

Shikaku and Sasuke both stiffened.

"Who is George?" Shikaku growled, once again butchering the name.

Harriet got a familiar deer in the headlights look, but was saved from answering by the door opening and a gorgeous woman with...rather large breasts burst into the room.

"Are you telling me we've got more of your people running around unchecked, Nara?" Tsunade snapped at Harriet, who cringed.

"Now wait a minute," Ron blustered, stepping forward with a glower. "Don't talk to her that way -"

"I have no idea what you just said, but apparently you can understand me, so let me make one thing clear. I am the leader of this village. If you lie to me, or hide anything else, I will pop your head like a melon," the woman growled, and Hermione's wand was in her hand without needing thinking about it.

The woman noticed, because she took a step forward, and Hermione felt a little faint when the floor cracked beneath her feet. Then Ron was there next to her, and the fear was fading because when they were together they could do anything. She raised her wand, a spell already on her lips.

Harriet dove between the two parties, arms lifted on either side with her palms facing out.

"Stop," she said, and Hermione immediately jerked her hand up so that her stunner hit the ceiling instead of her friend.

Distantly she heard the sound of glass breaking when Sasuke blurred up to Ron and pulled his own wand hand to the side. Harriet had barely finished speaking before Shikaku was there, shielding her body with his own.

For a count of five heartbeats, everybody was silent. Then, Shikaku straightened, revealing a shaken Harriet.

"You idiot," the man said, and clenched his hands at his sides. "You promised," he said in a calm tone that was actually more terrifying than yelling would have been. "You promised you wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Shikaku, I'm sorry, I -" Harriet started, suddenly looking on the verge of tears. "I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously," he snapped. "If you were thinking, you wouldn't have put our children in between two deadly forces about to come to blows."

Harriet put an arm around her stomach, and Hermione's jaw dropped as she noticed the small bump there for the first time.

"I know, I'm sorry, I just - I just got them back," Harriet said, voice small. "I'm not - I couldn't -"

Shikaku sighed and ran a hand down his face. "We'll talk about this later," he said, and Harriet bit her lip, but nodded.

"Right. Okay. Hermione, Ron, I think you'd better take us to where Ginny and George are."

000

Hari trudged along behind the contingent that was being sent to meet with Ginny and George. She couldn't quite place what she was feeling at the moment. Joy, of course, at seeing Hermione and Ron. Trepidation at the thought of seeing George again, but also some excitement - he had been a good friend, despite the back and forth of their romantic relationship. And Ginny - sweet, fiery Ginny, who had been the little sister Hari never had.

A layer on top of all of that, however, was guilt. Harriet was used to throwing herself into dangerous situations to save others. It was part of who she was. When she saw what was about to happen, her old world and new world colliding in violence and ruining everything before she could fully appreciate getting her family back, she had just reacted.

In that reaction she had come close to injuring not just herself, but her children. Hari wrapped an arm around her stomach, sick with the possibilities. What if she'd been hit by one of those spells? Or by Tsunade? Why hadn't she stopped to think? Sometimes, she couldn't help but think she was a terrible mother. When Sachiko seemed more attached to Toshiro than herself, or she put her foot down and insisted on working despite it keeping her from Sachiko for hours at a time. And now this...

"Harry," Ron said from where he was walking next to her.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. Hari closed her eyes for a moment, reveling the comfort of a dear friend that she thought she'd never see again only a few hours earlier.

He'd been a little quiet after his initial outburst when Shikaku had revealed that she was pregnant. Hari knew that he just needed some time to acclimate, and hadn't taken it personally. Apparently he'd acclimated.

"Blimey, mate. That was damn stupid."

His voice was shaking, and a glance up and to the left showed her that his face was white.

"I know," she said, and he sighed. Then, he grinned.

"You haven't changed a bit! Listen, it was dumb, but I bet carrying around precious cargo takes some getting used to. Don't beat yourself up about it. You're a quick learner, Harry."

She gave him a hesitant smile, feeling a little better, though she knew Shikaku was probably still fuming behind her. Speaking of Shikaku...

"Thanks, Ron," she said in English, still surprised at how odd it was to be conversing in her native language after all that time. "Listen, do you know, is George..." she trailed off awkwardly, and Ron cleared his throat.

"Oh, er, well -"

"He's still in love with you, if that's what you're asking," came Hermione's no-nonsense reply from her other side, where she'd been walking quietly.

Hari glanced over, and was relieved to see she had recovered her composure as well.

"Right," Hari said faintly. Then, with more determination, "Right. Be right back."

She slowed her steps so that Hermione and Ron pulled ahead of her. After a moment Shikaku fell into step with her, his whispered conversation with Kakashi dropping off.

"Kakashi-san, could I speak with my husband for a moment?" Hari asked.

The man nodded amiably.

"Sure, Hari-sama," he said, then moved forward to walk next to Naruto, Sasuke, and Tsunade, who were leading the procession.

Behind them was Inoichi and Ibiki. Hari thought it was overkill, but, well, they were shinobi, overkill was kind of their thing.

"Shikaku, listen, you should know -"

"Hari, I am so angry with you right now, that I don't think it's a good idea to have this conversation."

Hari blinked up at her husband. She'd never seen him look so infuriated, not when it was directed at her. She knew she had screwed up, of course, but didn't he see how difficult this whole situation was for her?

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when you're taken off guard later," she snapped, hurt feelings making her temper flare.

Before he could reply, she stomped back up to Hermione and Ron, who were exchanging one of their meaningful 'couple' looks - the ones that only they seemed to understand.

"I see you still have your temper," Hermione said, and Hari sighed, anger leaving her as quickly as it had come.

"Yes, well. Being pregnant makes me cranky," she grumbled.

Hermione hesitated, then, "Is he like that a lot?"

Hari didn't need to ask who she meant by 'he.'

"If you're asking if he's overprotective, then the answer is yes. And he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, but he's never been quite this angry with me before," she admitted in a small voice.

"Oh, Harriet, he's probably just scared," Hermione said earnestly from next to her.

"I know, I know I scared him when I stepped between you -"

"Well, yes, and honestly he has a right to be a little mad about that. What I meant, though, is that he's probably scared of what it means that we're here," Hermione cut in, and Hari frowned at her friend.

"What do you mean?" She said, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Harriet. From his perspective, you're only here in this world because you were stranded here. We came back to bring you home, obviously. He's probably worried you'll leave him."

Hari stared at Hermione, eyes widening. That was - of course Hari should have thought of that. But she'd been so overwhelmed by her happiness and then later fear and guilt that she hadn't thought through what all this meant. Hari could go home. She could see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Teddy and Luna and...

Her thoughts trailed off, and she looked down at her stomach. But she had a family here - she had children and a husband, and Hari couldn't leave them. Not when she knew what it felt like to grow up without parents.

"Hermione - you know -" she choked out.

"Hush," Hermione said. "We don't need to figure anything out right now. Actually," Hermione's eyes darted to the side, and she cleared her throat, "We haven't quite figured out how we're going to get back yet, anyway."

Hari stopped in her tracks and gaped at Hermione.

"Wait, are you telling me you're stuck here?" she squeaked.

"I mean, technically, but not for long, obviously. I brought a ton of books on alternate dimensions and portal magic -"

Hari closed her eyes as Hermione went into a long winded description of the apparent library's worth of books she'd brought along. Warmth infused her chest as she fell back into step with her friends. They'd figured out how to follow her, and hadn't even taken the time to work out how they'd be getting back before flinging themselves after her into danger. Just like old times.

Hari ignored the suspicious looks they were getting from their escort at her outburst - she was feeling a little miffed with Tsunade and Shikaku at the moment, and was tired of Ibiki's suspicious stares - and started walking again, letting Hermione's voice wash over her.

They'd left the village and had been walking in the forest for about five minutes when Kakashi held up a hand and looked to a spot on the right.

"Somebody's there," he said.

Ron stepped forward. "George, Ginny, if that's you, stand down. The puffle is uncaged," he said, and Hari snorted at the ridiculous code.

That had George written all over it - he probably just wanted to hear his brother say something completely undignified. A moment later, George and Ginny appeared in front of them, wands in hand and looking at their party warily. Hari's breath hitched as she took them in. They were both older, of course, and Ginny seemed to have gained even more confidence. She had been in training to become an auror when Hari disappeared. Judging from the easy way she wore her auror robes, and her familiar fighter's stance, she had succeeded.

George's hair was shorter, and there were new lines on his face. He was still handsome, though she didn't feel the pull towards him that she used to, only a small pang for what might have been.

"Harry!" Ginny said, and, completely ignoring the multiple deadly people surrounding her, took a few steps forward.

"Ginny," she choked out, and moved to meet her in a fierce hug.

She knew that their entourage had gone on high alert and stepped in closer, but she didn't pay them any mind.

"Oh Ginny, it's so good to see you," she whispered as tears sprang unbidden to her eyes.

"We missed you so much, we never stopped looking. Harry, I can't believe it - you're alive."

"Harriet," George said from where he was now standing next to them.

It sounded as if her name had been torn from him, and the next thing she knew she was being tugged away from a protesting Ginny and up against a chest that was broader than Hari remembered.

"Gods, Harriet, I can't - I can't believe it."

She returned his hug fiercely, swallowing back tears and guilt. He pushed her back and put his hands on either side of her face, meeting her green eyes with his brown. Her heart tugged again, but when he moved forward to kiss her, she turned her face to the side so his lips met her cheek instead. Then she stepped back, reaching up to remove his hands from her face and holding them in hers.

"George," she whispered. "It's good to see you."

He studied her intently, seeming to drink in her features. His eyes darted to something over her shoulder, and a moment later a familiar hand settled on her waist. George's eyes followed the movement and narrowed.

"And who is this, then?" he asked, voice frosty.

Hari cleared her throat, nerves hitting her hard.

"Ah, well," she said in English. "This is Nara Shikaku. My...my husband."

000

Nara Shikaku was not a man that panicked, but he could admit, at least to himself, that right now he was terrified. He watched as Hari stomped away from him and back to her friends - her family - after her cryptic parting remark.

"I see you've still got it," Inoichi said quietly from where he'd come up next to him.

Shikaku sighed and resisted the urge to run a hand over his face. "I just...I cannot believe she put herself in danger like that when she's..."

Inoichi sighed. "Yeah, it wasn't smart, but Shikaku, you have to know she's not thinking straight right now."

"I know," he said. "I know, okay?"

Ahead of them, Hari stopped in her tracks and said something incredulous in her native language. And, yeah, not understanding what they were saying was getting really annoying, really fast. He tensed, but after a moment he saw that whatever it was that had surprised her wasn't dangerous. Everyone relaxed as she fell into step with Ron and Hermione again.

"I don't think she'll leave," Inoichi said a few minutes later, and Shikaku twitched. Of course his friend knew what had him so worked up. "She missed her old friends and family, that's to be expected. But she won't leave you and the children. I'd bet my house on it."

Shikaku relaxed a little at his friend's declaration. Inoichi was good at reading people and situations, and he had spent a good amount of time with Hari the past few years by virtue of his friendship with Shikaku.

"She especially won't leave if you stop being an asshole and driving her away," Inoichi continued bluntly.

Shikaku sighed and looked up at the sky. Why were his friends so mean to him?

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," he grumbled.

They didn't have a chance to say anything else, however, because Kakashi had stopped and was looking at a spot to the right. Shikaku readied himself to defend Hari, and around him his comrades went into battle stances.

"Somebody's there," the copy nin said.

Then Ron stepped forward and said something in their strange language - though Shikaku could make out the names of the two people they were supposed to meet. He blinked when two figures suddenly appeared. One was a woman with long, red hair, face fierce in a way that reminded Shikaku of his wife. She was wearing the same red robes that he knew Hari had appeared in - the ones that she still donned if she thought she might run into trouble. Next to her was a tall man with the same hair and facial features.

Shikaku stepped forward when the girl - Ginny, most likely - dashed forward, and his wife moved to meet her. His shadows pooled at their feet, ready to freeze them both if it looked like Ginny would make an aggressive move. Instead, she began talking, Hari answering in a watery voice, and Shikaku felt suddenly guilty for wishing earlier that none of this was happening. His brave, selfless wife had lost so much in her life - how could he begrudge her this reunion just because he was afraid of losing her?

The man strode up to them, face a mixture of joy and disbelief. Shikaku moved his shadows over when he tugged Hari into an embrace, but as she didn't seem distressed, he did nothing else. Over the top of Hari, who was much shorter than the man, he saw that his face had morphed into...tenderness.

When he pushed Hari back and looked into her eyes, realization hit Shikaku hard, and only Inoichi's firm hand on his shoulder kept him from going over there and bodily ripping them apart. The way he was studying her...those were the eyes of a man who was looking at his lover. He chest clenched as Hari didn't move away, even when George leaned forward, going in for a kiss. He relaxed minutely when she turned her head so he got her cheek instead of her lips, but still couldn't stop himself from shaking off Inoichi and moving to stand beside her as she took his hands in hers and stepped back, saying something as she did so.

For a moment George continued to stare at her, and then he noticed Shikaku's approach. He kept his expression blank even as he sidled up to Hari and put an arm around her. Hari sighed, and he could tell she was nervous. She said something he didn't understand, though he did pick up his name. He knew she'd also included their relationship status when George's eyes widened and he stumbled backwards. He said something, mask a face of disbelief, and next to him Hari flinched, but gave a firm nod.

Ginny moved up next to George, putting a hand on his arm and frowning at Hari. She said something in a questioning tone, and Hari hesitated, then looked up at him.

"She wants to know if it would be okay for me to talk to them in private," she said a little apologetically.

"Absolutely not," Tsunade finally said, and moved to stand next to them, arms crossed over her chest.

Hermione and Ron had moved to stand with George and Ginny. Ron had put a hand on his brother's arm and was saying something to him in a low voice. George, for his part, looked like somebody had just died. Shikaku couldn't exactly blame him - if Hari disappeared for five years and then showed up married to somebody, he'd feel pretty devastated himself. Of course, he also felt a fierce wave of satisfaction that she'd turned the man away. This whole situation was going to be so troublesome.

Hermione gave George a worried look before stepping forward and saying something earnestly to Hari, who hesitated.

"Hermione wants to know if she can cast the translation spell on you guys," she said a little apologetically, knowing exactly what she was asking of a bunch of paranoid ninja. "So that we can all understand each other."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Can't you do it?"

Hari sighed and rubbed a hand over her forehead.

"I could probably learn it, but I'm guessing it's complicated and would take a few days. Hermione has always been more talented with charms than me," she said. "My skill lies in fighting, I'm afraid."

Shikaku hesitated, then looked at Hermione. "If she'd be willing to do a mind walk with Inoichi first, she can cast this...spell on me."

He felt any trepidation fall away when Hari sent him a wide-eyed, hopeful look. "You - you'd do that?"

He gave her a tight smile, feeling like an asshole for making her doubt that he'd support her. "They're your family, right?"

Hari beamed at him, then stood on her tiptoes in an obvious request for a kiss. His lips quirked up on one side, more of his fear leaving him, and he leaned down and pushed his lips against hers.

"Now wait just a minute," Tsunade growled. "I did not authorize this."

Shikaku pulled back and looked at his Hokage.

"I understand, Hokage-sama, but I think it would be best if at least one of us could communicate directly with them. I'm willing to take this chance, especially since I know Hari's here to reverse anything."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "I want to talk to you, Inoichi, Ibiki, and Kakashi alone," she grumbled. "Sasuke, Naruto! Stay here and watch Hari-san. Anything happens to her and I'll break all your bones," she snapped, and both of them lost a little color in their faces from where they had been standing and silently watching events unfold.

Shikaku hadn't even known Naruto had a silent setting, but apparently his time in ANBU was teaching him something. He hesitated and looked down at Hari, who gave him a small smile.

"It's okay, I'll be fine. No more stupid moves. I promise," she said.

He sighed, and reached up to cup her cheek. "Alright, sweetheart. I'll be right back."

He stepped back and walked over to join Tsunade on the other side of the small clearing they were in, noting that Naruto immediately moved in and enthusiastically asked for introductions.

"I'm so happy your family found you, Hari-san," he was saying. "Hey hey, do you think I can get that spell, too?"

Shikaku's attention was brought back to Tsunade when she spoke, though he kept one eye on where Hari was having a rapid-fire conversation with Hermoine.

"Inoichi, Ibiki, what do you think?"

Inoichi hummed. "I haven't done a mind walk yet, of course, but from what I've seen, they're sincere. They really came here looking for Hari. I don't think they'll try to hurt her."

"Will they try and take her?" Kakashi said bluntly, making Shikaku wince.

"I...don't believe so," Inoichi said with a frown. "They seem to genuinely care for Hari-san. They probably know how much it would hurt her."

"I agree," Ibiki said. "But they're still a potential threat. I know Hari-sama vouched for them, but I still think we need the mindwalk."

"And if they come up clean? What then?" Tsunade asked, frustrated. "We can't just have people with powers like Hari popping in and out."

"That's a discussion for another day, when we have more information," Kakashi said, drumming his fingers on his thigh. "Probably after we find out how they even got here, and if it's something that others can do."

Tsunade sighed. "Right, and to have that conversation, we need to let them cast that...spell on us. Okay. Shikaku-san, if you're still willing, you can go first. After a mind walk." He inclined his head

"Okay, if they're cleared, what do we do with them?" Ibiki said.

"They can stay with us," Shikaku found himself saying. "We have the room, and they're...Hari's family. My clan can also keep them in line, we're familiar with what they can do, anyway, probably more familiar than the rest of the village.

"...Fine," Tsunade said with a sigh. "Let's go see if they're willing."

When they returned, Hermione was studying Inoichi shrewdly - apparently Hari had explained mind walking to her. Ron was looking unhappy, Ginny was glaring at everybody, and George still looked like he'd had the rug pulled out from under him. Naruto was giving them an enthusiastic play-by-play of his last mission, and Sasuke was looking extremely bored.

"Alright. If Hermione-san is willing to do a mindwalk, then she can test the spell on Shikaku. If it works with no ill effects, then you will cast it on myself."

Tsunade had somehow pronounced the girl's name without butchering it, and her eyes narrowed when Kakashi and Ibiki immediately tried to argue with her.

"Enough! As Hokage, I need to be able to negotiate with potential allies," she said, and Shikaku almost chuckled.

Of course Tsunade had already seen the possibilities behind having more magic users in the village, and was taking the diplomatic approach. Hermione said something to Hari, and Ron stepped forward, protesting. Shikaku felt for him, but didn't say anything.

"She'll do it," Hari finally said, relief evident.

Two hours, four mind walks, and four spells later, the exhausted party made their way back into Konoha. Tsunade looked thoughtful as she spoke with Hermione. The girl was explaining how they had followed Hari, and that, no, that particular spell wasn't repeatable. They didn't even know how they would be getting back, and suddenly Shikaku understood where Hari had gotten her rash bravery from.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" he asked, looking down at Hari's pale face.

"Fine, just...tired," she admitted. "Maybe a little hungry."

Sasuke snorted from where he was walking ahead of them.

"Considering you had cake for lunch, it's not surprise." Hari sent him a betrayed look that he ignored.

"Hey that's right! You didn't eat any of your vegetables. Don't worry, Hari-san, I'll get you something!" Naruto yelled, and before anybody could stop him he disappeared.

"Well, that was...enthusiastic," Ginny said from Hari's other side, and his wife snorted.

"Yeah, Naruto has a lot of enthusiasm," she said, but it sounded more fond than annoyed.

"Harriet!" Hermione scolded. "You haven't eaten anything but cake? In your condition, you need to eat plenty of -"

Hari groaned. "No, absolutely not," she said, and Shikaku still found it strange that he knew she was speaking in a different language but somehow her words just made sense to him. "I already have a whole clan of overprotective, overbearing Nara on my case. I refuse to add to the numbers."

Just then, Naruto appeared in front of her, and proudly held out a pastry.

"There you, go Hari. Eat up so you don't get sick." he then bent down to talk to her stomach while walking backwards. "Tell your mommy not to forget to feed you, huh?" said cheerfully.

Ginny gasped, and ahead of them, where George had been walking next to Sasuke, silent, Shikaku heard a painful intake of breath.

"Harry, you - you're pregnant?" Ginny said.

Hari rubbed a hand across her forehead in exasperation even as she sent a concerned look towards George. Ron had moved to walk next to him, and had leaned in and was talking to him quietly. Shikaku didn't try to listen in.

"It's supposed to be a secret, but, yes."

"I - that's. Wow." Ginny was silent for a moment, studying her friend before offering Hari a tentative smile. "Congratulations, Harry. That's...really great. I know how much you wanted a family."

Hari smiled at her, then reached out and threaded her hand into Shikaku's. "Thanks, Ginny. Really. It means a lot. I know this wasn't what you...what you were expecting."

Ginny suddenly looked fierce. "I'm glad it wasn't. We've been so scared, wondering if you were - were hurt, or alone, or - or -" Ginny took a shaky breath before reaching over and squeezing Hari's arm. "I'm so glad you've been happy these past years. It's such a relief."

Shikaku studied the girl in front of him and felt something in him relax. They weren't going to try to take her from him. They were honestly happy that she was happy, though he was sure some tension would arise when they started talking about them returning home. And Hari...Hari wasn't pulling away, except for when he'd been a jerk earlier. She was holding his hand, and now she was telling Ginny about their home, and how much they'd like the forests and the clan, which she always talked about with fond exasperation.

"Nara are all crazy," she was grumbling at an amused looking Ginny. "They're lazy and pretend they don't care about anything, but they're all geniuses, and every time I need help one of them just 'happens' to appear. God forbid I realize they're trying to actually be helpful. It's ridiculous."

Finally, they seperated from Tsunade and the rest, and moved towards the Nara compound. Shikaku could sense the ANBU shadowing them, but had already given Tsunade permission to have them hang around to make sure nothing crazy happened. They entered the gates, and he heard Hari sigh next to him when she saw the inordinate number of their clan wandering around.

"Guess word has spread," she whispered as Rai appeared next to them, making their visitors jump.

"Rai-san," Hari said as the girl narrowed her eyes at the visitors. "Will you do me a favor and go tell Shikamaru and Neji that they need to join us for dinner tonight?"

"They're already at your house," the girl admitted, not taking her eyes off of Ginny, who was returning her narrow-eyed look with an unimpressed one.

"Of course they are," Hari grumbled under her breath, then, in a louder voice, "Everybody, this is my friend and clan member, Nara Rai. Rai, this is my family from the place I lived before I came to the elemental nations."

Hari pointed at them as she introduced each of them in turn. Shikaku was amused to see that Rai looked like she was holding herself back from snatching Hari up and running off with her.

"...Nice to meet you," she grumbled, and blinked when she was met with replies that she couldn't understand.

Hari sighed. "Right. Well, I only want to explain this once, so let's get home. Rai, please gather everybody in the family room, okay? I have some things I need to talk to them about."

Rai gave a stiff nod, then disappeared in a swirl of leaves, making the foreigners jump again.

"Show off," Hari said fondly. Shikaku tugged her a little closer, realizing what an idiot he'd been earlier that day. Of course Hari wouldn't just leave them - she loved them, too.

000

Hari entered the family room, noting that everybody was there before she was bowled over by three children.

"Nee-san!"

"Mommy!"

Hari leaned down and picked Sachiko up, taking a moment to just hold her despite her protests. Natsu and Eito had both given her a hug, and were now staring suspiciously at the four obviously-foreign people standing behind her and Shikaku.

"Alright, everybody sit down."

Sachiko was straining towards Shikaku, who plucked her from Hari and tossed her in the air once, causing her to let out a squeal of delight.

"Papa! Again!" she demanded, and he chuckled before pulling her against him in a hug.

"Not now, princess," he said gently, and she pouted, but didn't protest when he handed her back to a narrow-eyed Toshiro.

She was a smart girl and had picked up on the tension of the adults in the room and was now studying the newcomers with obvious interest.

"Okay," Hari said, ignoring the shocked looks she was receiving from the Weasleys.

She hadn't mentioned that she already had a child, but, well, it had been a busy afternoon. She cleared her throat nervously and took in the people gathered in the room. Shikamaru was sitting next to Neji on the couch, and both of them were studying the newcomers with distrust. Rai was leaning up against a wall in the back of the room, and the twins had moved back to sit next to Shikamaru at Shikaku's urging. Toshiro was in an armchair with a fidgeting Sachiko on his knee. All of them turned to her expectantly when she spoke.

"As you know," she started, and relaxed a little when Shikaku moved to stand next to her, putting a supportive hand on the small of her back. "I'm not originally from the Elemental Nations. I became displaced when a - a bad man did something to me. I never figured out what happened or how to get back, and I assumed that my family from that other place couldn't find me either."

Hari took a deep breath to steady her nerves as the adults in the room focused on her with more intent. "Recently, they discovered a way to follow me. So. I guess I'd like to introduce you to the Weasleys." Hari turned to them, her smile faltering when she saw George was staring in the direction of Sachiko, face white and hands shaking.

"This is Hermione, Ron, George, and Ginny," she said, and George flinched when she said his name.

Hari gritted her teeth. "You guys, this is - this is also my family. Shikamaru is Shikaku's son through his first marriage," she said, and he tilted his head to the side but didn't say anything. "Neji is his husband," she continued. "And, these are my adoptive siblings, Eito and Natsu."

Natsu jumped up off the couch and approached them, eyes lit up in excitement and Eito following close behind. "Moni-neesan and Ron-niisan? Aneki has told us all about you!"

"Ah, sorry, Hermione, but they could never pronounce your name, so..."

Hermione seemed to get over her shock at discovering that Hari had siblings, though the look she shot her told her that they'd be getting the whole story from her later.

"I quite like that, actually," she said, and Natsu blinked in confusion. Right, they couldn't understand her yet.

"Hey, they talk just like you did when you first came, neesan! Don't worry, we can teach you to speak our language just like we did with Hari!" Natsu said, and Eito nodded solemnly.

"Actually, they have a spell that makes it so they can understand us. But go sit down and let me finish now," Hari said, cutting off their questions.

Natsu pouted but did as she was told.

"I wanted to hear about the dragon," she grumped.

"Which one?" Hermione quipped, and Hari ignored the way Shikaku stiffened at her side.

"Right, so, you met Rai. Over here," Hari felt her voice soften, "Is Nara Toshiro. And sitting with him is mine and Shikaku's first born, Sachiko."

George, apparently having had enough, let out a distressed noise and darted out of the room. Hari bit her lip and took a step as if to follow him.

"I've got it," Ginny said in a soft voice, then turned and followed him.

"Well, that wasn't weird," Shikamaru said, crossing his arms over is chest and leaning back, the picture of nonchalance.

Hari let out a breath but didn't respond. "Right, so, as you can tell, they don't speak the language. However, Hermione knows a spell that can make it so that you understand what they're saying. They've already cast it on Shikaku and the Hokage, along with Naruto and Sasuke. They can also understand what we're saying."

"So they have been cleared by the Hokage," Neji said, and relaxed minutely when Shikaku made a noise of agreement next to her.

"Oh! Cast it on me!" Natsu yelled, jumping up and bounding over to Hermione.

Hermione looked over to Hari, who just shrugged and turned to her husband. Technically, it was his choice, since Natsu was a Nara. He inclined his head, and Shikamaru sat up.

"Dad, come on, I don't think -"

"It's fine, Shikamaru," Shikaku said. "Inoichi cleared them."

Shikamaru pressed his lips together and slowly sat back, watching with sharp eyes as Hermione cast the spell, which was, as Hari expected, extremely complex. She doubted she'd have been able to do it just from reading about it in the handbook even if she had remembered it existed.

"There, how's that?" Hermione asked, smiling at the girl, whose eyes widened.

"Whooooa," she said. "That's so weird."

Of course Eito then insisted he would go next. Soon everybody in the room except Sachiko had it cast on them. Hari didn't even want to know what casting the spell on a child who was just developing their complex language skills would do, and neither did Hermione.

Hari walked over and plucked Sachiko from a wary Toshiro, though he didn't try to stop her.

"Sachi-chan, darling, I want you to meet your Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron," she said gently.

The girl narrowed her eyes at them and tilted her head to the side. "Like mommy," she finally said, pointing at the wand.

"That's right, they have magic like mommy, and like Sachiko," she said, and Ron inhaled.

"You're sure?" he said, even as he inched closer and held out a hand to Sachiko, face soft.

"Yeah, she's already had a few accidental bouts," Hari responded.

"She's beautiful, Harriet," Hermione said, smiling at the girl as she put her wand away. "Hello, Sachiko. I'm so happy to finally meet you. I hope we can be good friends."

Sachiko looked over at Hari and Shikaku, face unsure. "She wants to know if you can be friends," Hari supplied

"Friends?"

"Yes, darling. If you want." After a moment of thought, Sachiko held out her chubby little arms to Hermione, who made a little choked off sound before carefully pulling her from Hari's arms.

"Oh, look at you," she whispered as Ron crowded in next to her, a small smile on his face.

"Gorgeous, she is," Ron agreed.

Sachiko narrowed her eyes, put off that she couldn't understand them, but also realizing that the besotted looks they were giving her could only mean good things for her future. After a moment, her face went sly and thoughtful, and she twisted in Hermione's arms to point at the high shelf she'd fallen off of three weeks ago.

"Up?" she said innocently, and Shikaku groaned.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

**The end.**

**I hope you enjoyed this story a lot.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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